Thursday, October 23, 2008

While we were in Texas we stopped in one of those shops that has all sorts of things out for you to taste; hot sauce, salsa, prickly pear jam, etc... One of the things they had was sweet potato butter & Matt loved it. We decided instead of buying a jar that we'd try to make our own when we got back. Well, I didn't wait & picked up some sweet potatoes yesterday to whipped up a batch.Making this butter is just as easy as making applesauce. You only have one extra step in that you have to roast the sweet potatoes first. It came out wonderfully, to me it tastes like fall, if that makes any sense. The smell that fills your house while making it is amazing with the cinnamon & allspice. I was a little worried while it was cooking that it tasted too much like apples from the apple cider but as it cooks down the flavor of the sweet potatoes takes center stage.

Sweet Potato Butter

3 large sweet potatoes, about 3 cups mashed (We used Jersey Sweets because they are our favorite but use what you like. An oranger potato will give you an oranger butter than ours.)2 c apple cider (not sweetened)1 c sugar1 heaping t ground cinnamon1/4 t ground allspice

Preheat oven to 400 F. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes & bake for about 1 hour or until soft.

Peel the roasted potatoes, put them in a large pot & mash them with a potato masher or fork. Add the cider & sugar & bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cinnamon & allspice. Reduce the heat to low & allow to simmer for about 2 hours stirring from time to time. The mixture should thicken to a thick mashed potato-like texture as the liquid cooks out. Use an immersion blender (or stand blender) to get all the lumps out & get a perfectly smooth texture.

Makes about 3 cups

Sweet Potato Butter should be stored in the refrigerator.

Matt wants to eat this just spread on toast or in his oatmeal (when his isn't just eating it by the spoonful). I plan on using it to making cupcakes & perhaps some cookies.

I am so making this. Only I am going to use butternut squash as I have a boat load of it. We get these here that are about2 feet plus long. THey are gimongous. I really need to post apicture of them. There is so much meat on the things. Hardly any seeds.

I plan on using this recipe to make gifts for xmas. I have purchased canning jars to ensure that the butters and spreads I make will keep until then, and was hoping for a "refrigerate after opening" type deal. If I make this recipe using a canning jar and proper canning/jarring method can I then keep it unrefrigerated until it is opened?

I have been buying House Of Webster's butters and preserves over the past year, and I highly recommend them. They are so yummy and contain little more than the fruit/veggie. Their pickled asparagus and dilly beans are also incredible!